The building of
Forsaken Haunted House in Mentor, Ohio
5/28/11 Day 1 -The first semi trailer docked at the new haunt
5/29/11 Day 2 -Got a couple loads of stuff in, Diana cleaned a bunch, I started tracing out all the electrical to try and figure out which outlet/light is powered from which of 3 breaker boxes on which circuit.
5/30/11 Day 3 - got 98% of the electrical traced out. Outlets, light fixtures, and other stuff all labeled.
5/31/11 Day 4 - dumped most of the first trailer with Josh. Tow motors with no brakes are no fun. Went and got the first load from the storage unit
6/1/11 Day 5 - Got out first shipment of walls in from FOT, Got the fork lift stuck and unstuck thanks to Chris Virgilio. Between Chris, Kevin Swan and I, we got 1 out of the 4 giant walls of the building painted black. Off to MHC tomorrow, but now I just want to stay home and work on the haunt.
6/2/11 - Leave for MHC at 8pm, Much vomiting ensues
6/3/-6/5/11 Day 7, 8, and 9 MHC
6/4/11 - Announced Forsaken as our name
6/6/11 Day 10 - Siever's and Surefit sprinkler started their work. A t & t came for an hour and never came back to finish. Steel order dropped off, huge pain to unload. I went and picked up propane tanks for the forklift. 3 loads from the storage units. Refrigerator dropped off. Paint sprayer broke so I had to go get new ends crimped on the ends of the hose. Unpacked all the security cameras. Had to unload a lot of the steel using the over head crane, so glad its there and still works.
6/8/11 Day 12 - We got another load from the storage units, after 3 days a t & t got our phone working so I got the dsl router up and going. Can't wait to start getting walls up.
6/9/11 Day 13 - Diana and I can start a show called Haunt Pickers (aka, garbage pickin'), instead of American Pickers. Just scored a bunch of props and stuff for the haunt by driving around our neighbor hood. Also, I am very excited to say that all the storage units are now transferred to the haunt. All I have to do now is move all my tools.
6/11/11 Day 15 - unloaded 2 more semi loads of walls. Went and picked up an awesome compressor and metal cutting saw. Used jb weld to fix a cracked leaking pipe.
6/12/11 Day 16 Actor Tryouts Day 2, Kevin started cutting steel with the new saw (10 times faster than old one). Pipe I fixed Saturday caused another one to start leaking, jb welded that one now. Not much else.
6/16/11 Day 20 - Chris dropped off the plant monster mold. Had a minor flood. I think I need to get the pump attachment for my shop vac.
6/17/11 Day 21 - Unloaded our last enclosed semi trailer last night and our last flat bed of walls and lumber today. I got the first 3 security cameras working as well6/20/11 It took 6 hours, pushing Adam Warner's trailer to the LIMIT, 3 trips, and me almost breaking my elbow, but my Bridgeport, Engine Lathe, 3 heavy workbenches, and Adam's TIG welder are now at the haunt. I am so glad nothing has to move until at least 2016
6/21/11 Day 25 - John made a surprise visit to see how things are going and to drop off the Factory of Terror drawings as an example for our electrician and engineer. Brandon, Samantha, Dan and Alyssa also stopped in about 10:45pm on their way to Cedar Point.
6/22/11 Day 26 - I got my Bridgeport and lathe put into place. Went and picked up a couple shelves to finish organizing the cave.
6/23/11 Day 27 - I have to leave work early today. I am meeting the electrical contractor, and his electrical engineer at the haunt. Hopefully it's a quick process to get what I want done documented, and approved by the city. That way we can get our building permit approved and start really getting to work.
6/25/11 Day 29 -Got the outside and first half out house 3 chalked out. Katie Lane paid a visit, helped Katie Johnston burn some book cases and stuff. Kevin's gigantic tree is making great progress. I got acid music studio installed, downloaded the 3 gbs of free loops and stuff. Although I know Virgil Franklin's loops that he created will be much more useful than anything I get from Sony.
6/27/11 Day 31 -Finished completely outlining house 3 on the floor and Diana, Katie, and Nick started placing props in the middle of where each scene will be.
6/28/11 Day 32 - Chris started last night and got half a butcher case done. Kevin got our chain link panels fixtured for welding. Diana got her light posts assembled and painted.
6/30/11 Day 34 - Diana and I got the first half of house 1 chalked out, Steve got most of the security cameras mounted, Kevin got the rest of the bark on the giant tree.
7/1/11 Day 35 - Diana and I finished chalking out house 1 and 90% done with house 2. I maybe be able to work on something fun today.
7/2/11 Day 36 - Chris's BBQ. Then work at the haunt.
7/4/11 Day 38 - Katie, Shane, Diana and I watch fireworks from the roof. We could see about 10 different cities displays from that high up. I started soldering together some piranha led bars while Diana put together mini spot tubes.
7/5/11 Day 39 - Steve Katko came up and ran some of the wires for the cameras. I picked up the 16 camera computer from Jen and Guy. Had to make a run to Lowe's for another 96 furring strips. Donna painted the planter boxes for Diana's light posts. Chris started building the Nurses station for the hospital scene. Diana and I placed some props, the whiskey barrels, 55 gallon drums, etc. Nicky built the 8' tables for the greenhouse. Kevin Swan built the other 4 armatures Diana needed and welded some more chain link panel frames.
7/6/11 Day 40 - Chris and I went to Extra Space storage in Willoughby and picked up some nasty mattresses, a couch, and a table. The owner called us upon recommendation by the one in Mentor, them saying that we would take a lot of stuff for our haunt and save them the dumpster space. Hopefully in the future they call us with some better stuff.
7/7/11 Day 41 - Steve Katko came and ran some more of the wiring for the security camera system. Kayla, Maria, Marilyn, and Alex came up to paint some props (and flooded my shop). Kevin Swan welded a bunch more chain link panel frames, while Kevin Smalley continued to cement the tree. Diana foamed the first set of plant monster jaws and worked on assembling the mayor statue.
7/8/11 Day 42 Chris was up working on his ticket booth today. Apparently Kevin Smalley left without telling anyone why.
7/9/11 Day 43 First actor training was today. I went to Jen and Guy's for a cook out during it though. When I got back we started Kayla, Mariah, Alex, and Marilyn on painting the walls for the mechanics shop.
7/10/11 Day 44 We found out that Kevin Smalley quit. Again. "I am more about my demise than my rise" and some bull crap. Diana's grandma's 93rd birthday party at Diana's mom, then Diana and I went to the haunt and worked. Diana and Katie sorted and mixed all the paint for every scene so we know exactly what we still need to find and what scenes we can start painting now.
7/11/11 Day 45 Chris, Donna, Steve, Will, Kris, all were at the haunt today. Steve continued work on the camera system, Donna painted a bunch of walls. Diana bronze painted the mayor statue. I almost finished the model for the new plant monster animatronic for the green house scene.
7/12/11 Day 46 We have a building permit finally! They are finalizing the paperwork and Diana can go drop off a check after work! Chris and I put up the first 7 walls.
7/13/11 Day 47 We have the permit in hand and construction started on installing our new entry doors. Will and Kris put up about 50 walls in the back of District.
7/14/11 Day 48 Steve came up and ran some more wire for the security cameras. Donna, Diana, and Nicky painted a bunch of stuff. I ordered all the electrical components for the control panel.
7/15/11 Day 49 The electricians dropped off their job boxes and scissor lift today. They had a few minutes so they put in the first conduit run, the one for my compressors. They will be back Monday to really start.
7/16/11 Day 50
7/17/11 Day 51 Diana and I took the morning off to go watch the last Harry Potter movie. We then met John and Steph for lunch at Smokey Bones before showing them the progress we had made. John circled the inside of our building on his Harley and laid down two patches of rubber.
7/18/11 Day 52 The electricians started putting in all the conduit and drops over the manor today. I took a half day to work with them on where we are mounting the new transformer, breaker panel, and my contactor control panel. Will and Kris built some walls and braced the theater facade after Chris and I put up the last of the lower walls. Donna is painting some walls, Steve is assembling the trailer him and I picked up at Harbor Freight on Saturday. Kevin is continuing work on the chain maze panels. Josh and Pleckner got some more of the chain link fabric on frames and got some more of them up.
7/19/11 Day 53 I didn't do much tonight, Bevcorp company dinner. I did pick up some wood for Chris and drop it off.
7/20/11 Day 54 Will, Chris, Kris, and I put up the upper half of the theater facade using my new wall lifter attachment that Kevin and I made for the scissor lift. I started work on the haunt control panel.
7/21/11 day 55 I had to run to Canton to look at some animatronics for FOT, and Diana and Katie went to dinner with Blue, Becca, Brian, and Katie Lane. They all came back to check out the haunt. Will and Kris didn't come in so Chris, Diana, Katie, and I put up the green house and office scenes. Also, hottest day of the year, according to weather.com it hit 97.
7/22/11 Day 56
7/23/11 Day 57 No builders, so Diana, Josh, Katie, Adam and I put up another large section of the house.
7/24/11 Day 58
7/25/11 Day 59 Will and Kris got up all the rest of the walls for the manor and started bracing them. Chris and I got the marquee front up on the theater. Dave worked on the fountain. Steve worked on the trailer and ran some more camera wire.
7/26/11 Day 60 I finished the cad work on the motion base. Kevin is almost done welding cage maze panels. Diana and Donna worked on painting and setting scenes. Chris worked on the lettering for the theater marquee. Kevin's daughter Cera and her friend came up to apply for acting.
7/27/11 Day 61 Will and Kris got up some more walls around the que area for quarantine and cut in 3 windows and all the fire exits for the manor. Diana started putting up lath. Katie, Donna, and Laura made vines and worked in the greenhouse. Chris painted the marquee sign and Kevin finished up the chainlink panels and started cutting the steel for animatronics.
7/28/11 Day 62
7/29/11 Day 63 Half way point. 63 days in, 63 days until we open. Apparently Will got attacked by bees.
7/30/11 Day 64 I installed the 10 drop panels and a bunch of framed doors in the manor. Diana finished stapling up lath and started painting it before almost firing everyone.
7/31/11 Day 65
8/1/11 Day 66 Will and Kris cut in a bunch more doors. Chris started working on the Manor facade.
8/2/11 Day 67 Chris working on the Manor facade. Girls all painting brick.
8/3/11 Day 68 Will , Kris and I got the first part of the 16' walls up on the Quarantine facade. Chris continued work on his Manor facade. Kayla, Mariah, Laura, and Diana kept painting bricks and sharpying tile paneling. Kevin started welding together the motion base. Electricians got clear of quarantine.
8/4/11 Day 69 Josh, Mike and I got up a bunch more of the Quarantine facade. Katie and Diana worked on scenes, mostly lath. Donna and Laura painted a ton of brick. Steve ran more speaker wire into the Manor. Kevin welded up the brackets to hold the cage maze to the wood wall panels. Kayla and Mariah covered themselves in just as much black paint as they got on the walls.
8/5/11 Day 70
8/6/11 Day 71 Diana and I traveled to Factory of Terror to pick up 20 55 gallon drums, one of our two costume racks, our ATMS, a newspaper box, and an old radio. We also had our marketing meeting for the season.
8/7/11 Day 72
8/8/11 Day 73 I was in Columbus due to Bevcorp work, but it appears that Will and Kris got much farther on final bracing of the first two houses, Diana and Laura worked on paneling thunderdome, Chris finished siding the first phase of the house front, Josh finished cage maze paneling the inside of quarantine. The electricians got all the conduit and drops in for District, as soon as the pull the wire on the 10th, we will be able to start standing walls in that house.
8/9/11 Day 74 I got some machining done. Chris worked on the house front. Diana and Laura mounted the last of the paneling in thunderdome while Donna, Mariah, and Kayla painted it. Kevin started cutting the steel for our dock barriers. Frank MaMana stopped in to take a look around.
8/10/11 Day 75
8/11/11 Day 76
8/12/11 Day 77 Brett, Shawn, and Justin all arrived from Fear Fair about 12am. They will be helping us this weekend. Will, Kris, Josh, Mike and I got the last of the walls up.
8/13/11 Day 78 Kevin and I moved the Vortex into place. Kevin started assembling it, then Adam came up and finished.
8/14/11 Day 79 Brett, Shawn and Justin headed back to Indiana, took a few hospital curtains and some cool old school intercoms with them. They worked on the kitchen scene, installed doorways and headers in the entire manor, and helped me put up the concession stand.
8/15/11 Day 80 Tim started installing doors in district. Will and Kris finished tapconing the perimeter and continued bracing along the backside of district. Kevin started fabricating the base for the vortex rollers. Diana started distressing thunderdome. Steve ran 600' of 1/2" airline. Mariah and Kayla painted a bunch of black. Cindy painted some stuff. Chris continued work on the manor facade.
8/16/11 Day 81
8/17/11 Day 82
8/18/11 Day 83
8/19/11 Day 84
8/20/11 day 85 Today Chris and I retrieved the Z.A.V., Zombie Assault Vehicle, or "The Rig" for short. Couldn't get it over 55 on the free way back from Factory of Terror, but it made it. Katie Lane came to the haunt to teach a few actors about sliding. A few of the are naturals.
8/21/11 Day 86
8/22/11 Day 87
8/23/11 Day 88 I got the motion base moving for the first time. The electricians finally got my compressor working so I could pressurize the system and try some stuff out. Tom Luhtala came out to pick up some LEDs and check out the haunt.
8/24/11 Day 89 It decided to rain last night, ALOT, 2 lake Forsakens, one in the dock, the other about 55 gallons of water in the drive in door. Covered the actor break area, the mechanics shop and the butcher shop. An hour later and 8-10 fillups on the shop vac and I got most of it. Chris is getting almost done on the manor facade. Diana was painting the brick work she carved in the courtyard. Adam and Julie stopped up.
8/25/11 I finished wiring the haunt control panel, Steve finished the speaker wiring, Adam and Julie came up. Julie painted some walls with Marilyn, Tyler, and Carolann. Adam installed the panic hardware and fixed 2 doors. Diana worked on paneling the area in front of the barber and butcher shops. Josh cut the window into the barber shop.
8/26/11 Day 91 I took a half day and stopped at the haunt this morning to direct the electricians on the installation of outlets in the costume/make up room, for the 32 AP-16's running our audio system, 1 more quad box by the motion base, and 2 outlets for the freezer and refrigerator that we are using in the concession stand.
9/1/11 Day 96 We passed our first fire inspection. It was to certify our fire alarm emergency system. One down, a few more to go.
9/2/11 Day 97
9/4/11 19 hour day. Chris, Shawn and I stayed until 5:00am Labor Day.
9/5/11 Diana blew out her knee. I took her to Tripoint ER.
9/6/11 Geoffrey Graves and Freddie Nova stop by and check us out.
9/7/11 Diana has appt with ortho.
9/13/11 Steve, Unstein, and I stripe the parking lot.
9/14/11 Online ticketing available
9/16/11 Building inspections postponed
9/17/11 Better in Mentor day's parade
9/18/11 FOT dress rehersal
9/19/11 Sean works on audio, pit floor in, 100% on inspections
9/20/11 Machine gun cannon, popper cannon, airline to theater
9/21/11 Fire crackers in quarantine, pit ramps, radio commercial by Steve and Diana, Tony boards up windows on district
9/24/11 Full dress rehearsal
9/26/11 Power goes out for a while, hooked up barrel roll, theater scent shooter working
9/30/11 We are open
